Trans-Latina Worker Cooperative!
Donation protected
My name is Jennifer de la Cruz, and I am a leader in the fight for equality in the workplace for all LGBTQ immigrants in New York City and across the country. And like most Americans, I believe that no one should be denied a job because of their gender identity or gender expression. After enduring years of discrimination and unemployment, I am standing up for myself and my community to launch the first of its kind Trans-Latina Worker Cooperative– a historic worker-owned cooperative business that will provide professional beauty services throughout the NYC area.
And YOU can help launch this historic effort with your financial support.
I came to the United States from Mexico when I was 16 years old because where I come from, opportunities are very limited for LGBTQ people. I knew that the U.S. offered more opportunities for equality and growth if you were willing to work hard.
But it did not take long to learn that living as a transgender immigrant with limited English in the United States is not easy. Members of the LGBTQ community have limited educational resources and few spaces to learn about our rights, and face discrimination that blocks us from dignifying jobs that are both safe and pay the bills. Transgender individuals are twice as likely as the general population to beunemployed and are four times as likely to live in poverty. Nearly 20 percent have been, or are currently, homeless. These numbers are even more alarming for transgender people of color, whose unemployment rates are up to four times the national average.[1] I myself, kept getting laid off and not getting called back from jobs interviews. During some interviews, I was evensubjected to homophobic slurs
I am joining with other transgender community members and asking you to support the Campaign for a Transgender-Led Worker Cooperative! We can’t do it all alone. We need YOUR support today to make history!
Funds raised will cover:
➢ Cosmetology and nails licensing training
➢ Quality beauty equipment and supplies
➢ Website and app development to promote our brand and services
Thank you for your support!
About Make the Road New York's Worker-Coop Development Program:
Make the Road New York (MRNY), a community-based organization in Queens, is currently supporting our co-op and will continue to do so through its early stages in order to ensure long-term success. MRNY is perfectly suited to this job: the organization has been publicly recognized and supported by the New York City Council for developing worker-owned cooperatives. In 2014, MRNY launched its first cooperative, a cleaning business, with 15 members who are already averaging hourly wages of over $20. With your support, we too can build a profitable business for years to come, one that provides us a living wage in a profession that we love.
Join us in building a historic worker co-op and donate today!
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[1] Make the Road New York. Discrimination in the Workplace: From Application to Termination. A Report on the Employment Experiences of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People. October 2013. Pg 9
And YOU can help launch this historic effort with your financial support.
I came to the United States from Mexico when I was 16 years old because where I come from, opportunities are very limited for LGBTQ people. I knew that the U.S. offered more opportunities for equality and growth if you were willing to work hard.
But it did not take long to learn that living as a transgender immigrant with limited English in the United States is not easy. Members of the LGBTQ community have limited educational resources and few spaces to learn about our rights, and face discrimination that blocks us from dignifying jobs that are both safe and pay the bills. Transgender individuals are twice as likely as the general population to beunemployed and are four times as likely to live in poverty. Nearly 20 percent have been, or are currently, homeless. These numbers are even more alarming for transgender people of color, whose unemployment rates are up to four times the national average.[1] I myself, kept getting laid off and not getting called back from jobs interviews. During some interviews, I was evensubjected to homophobic slurs
I am joining with other transgender community members and asking you to support the Campaign for a Transgender-Led Worker Cooperative! We can’t do it all alone. We need YOUR support today to make history!
Funds raised will cover:
➢ Cosmetology and nails licensing training
➢ Quality beauty equipment and supplies
➢ Website and app development to promote our brand and services
Thank you for your support!
About Make the Road New York's Worker-Coop Development Program:
Make the Road New York (MRNY), a community-based organization in Queens, is currently supporting our co-op and will continue to do so through its early stages in order to ensure long-term success. MRNY is perfectly suited to this job: the organization has been publicly recognized and supported by the New York City Council for developing worker-owned cooperatives. In 2014, MRNY launched its first cooperative, a cleaning business, with 15 members who are already averaging hourly wages of over $20. With your support, we too can build a profitable business for years to come, one that provides us a living wage in a profession that we love.
Join us in building a historic worker co-op and donate today!
----
[1] Make the Road New York. Discrimination in the Workplace: From Application to Termination. A Report on the Employment Experiences of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People. October 2013. Pg 9
Organizer
Jennifer de la Cruz
Organizer
Elmhurst, NY
